Petal residents escaped with their lives

Feb. 11, 2013

Written by

Mary Lett

American Staff Writer

PETAL — Itaska Broom has lived in Petal since 1969. Roy and Catherine Sanford moved to the Friendly City about six years ago.

However, the residents found themselves in similar situations today.

Broom and the Sanfords’ homes were both destroyed when a powerful tornado touched down Sunday afternoon in the Pine Belt.

“I got home from work about 4 p.m. and was just able to make it to the bathroom with my husband, Robert, before everything went crazy,” said Broom who lived at 103 Meadowbrook Drive. “My husband is disabled and we got into the bathtub. We didn’t hear anything and everything was over in less than a minute.”

The Broom’s three-bedroom brick house — though still standing, barely — was totally gutted by the tornado. The two-car attached garage was lying on the concrete slab.

“We’ve lost a lot, but we’re lucky, a lot of people in similar situations have not been as lucky,” she said of the tornado that flattened the house across the street as well — the home of Joey and Marsha Lee.

Broom said she was able to save some of her most valuable possessions — a picture her granddaughter made for her that was still hanging on a kitchen wall and of course, family photographs. Some things that were blown away also were returned. A neighbor mentioned he found a punch bowl in his yard.

“I went over and looked, it was my punch bowl that had been in the attic,” Broom said. “It didn’t have a scratch on it.”

The home of Tom and Gerolene Hardges also sustained severe damage during the storm.

“We hid in the bathtub and just waited,” Gerolene Hardges said. “Everything happened so fast and we didn’t hear anything. When we looked out, all we saw was daylight because the roof was gone in some places.”

The Sanfords, who live in east Petal in Tropical Gardens subdivision, were still in shock, said Kevin Sanford, Roy Sanford’s brother.

The couple, with their son, sought refuge in their master bedroom closet as the tornado destroyed their home, Kevin Sanford said.

“As they were running into the master bedroom closet, the bathroom window exploded and my brother was cut but he wasn‘t seriously injured,” Kevin Sanford said.

The Sanfords were sitting in the living room when they heard the wind and ran into the master bedroom closet.

“We’ve able to salvage a few clothing and some pictures but we’re still looking,” Kevin Sanford said.

Keith LaCour, who also lives in Tropical Gardens, said his home was destroyed. He moved into the neighborhood in June but was in New Orleans when the storm hit the area.

“I got a phone call and came home and found this,” said LaCour as he looked out of the roof of his home from the living room. “I’m glad we were not home. We’re moving out what we can but it looks like the house will be a total loss.”